Friday, July 22, 2011

What do anthropologist Daniella Martin, designer Rosanna Yau, and actress Angelina Jolie have in common? They have all dined on insects, enjoyed the experience, and have even promoted it! From features on Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters to A-list celebrity endorsements, insects seem to be making their way into kitchens across America – only now they’re actually welcome.

While studying anthropology in Mexico, Martin had such a revelatory experience after trying a local favorite called “chapulines” (grasshoppers), that she started a site called Girl Meets Bug, sharing her favorite creepy crawler recipes.

In her thesis, MiniLivestock: Exploring Rhetorical Methods to Promote Consuming Insects As Food, Rosanna Yau explores how “branding can be an effective tool for behavioral change and redefining an unfamiliar food practice, such as entomophagy (the consumption of insects as food).” Yau’s thesis integrates culture and design to incentivize the consumption of insects. She particularly targets American women with her efforts.

And Angelina Jolie? She says “They’re good”. She compares crickets to potato chips and says her sons, Maddox and Pax, pop them like Doritos. She actually has to set a limit on how many crickets her children are allowed to eat.

Not only are insects nutritional, according to the article Eat bugs, save the planet, they are also better for the environment. I’m not sure if I’m fully sold on the concept, but my curiosity is definitely peeked!

Check out the article the New York Times posted on eating insects to find out which bugs you should try…